Tire building apparatus



y 20, 1948- H. D. STEVENS 2,445,728

TIRE BUILDING APPARATUS (PLY TURN-UP) OYI -iginal Filed July 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l mvsmon I HORACE. DSTEVENS July 20, 1948. H sTgvE'Ns 2,445,728

TIRE BUILDING APPARATUS (PLY TURN-UP) Original Filed July 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7/6 #7 HORACE ns'rzyrzws ATTORN EYS July 20, 1948. H. n s'rzvzus 2,445,723

- TIRE BUILDING APPARATUS (PLY TURN-UP) Original Filed July 17, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3v INVENTOR HORACE .D. STEVENS ATTORNEYS Patented July 20, 1948 TIRE BUILDING APPARATUS (PLY TURNUP) Horace D. Stevens, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application July 17, 1940, Serial No.

345,974. Divided and this application September 8, 1944, Serial No. 553,257

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to tire building apparatus for the fabricating of pneumatic tire casings, and more especially it relates to ply turn-up devices for turning under-bead fabric plies outwardly around the bead-cores during the fabricating of tires.

The chief objects of the invention are to effeet the turning up of the under-bead fabric plies of a tire under construction in a superior and more expeditious manner than heretofore has been possible; and to save time and labor in the manufacture of pneumatic tire casings. Other objects will be manifest as the description proceeds.

This application is a division of my prior application, Serial Number 345,974, filed July 17, 1940, now Patent No. 2,381,379, dated August 7. 1945.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of tire building apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig, 2 is an end elevation as viewed from the right thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail elevation, on a larger scale, of one of the fluid pressure cylinders ofthe apparatus, as viewed from the rear thereof; i

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, on a larger scale, of one of the devices that turn the under-bead fabric plies around the bead-cores after the latter have been applied to the drum, the device being shownvin inoperative position in full lines, and in its initial operative position in broken lines;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 4 in its inoperative position;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4 in its final operative position;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the action of one of the ply turn-up tools on the work;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectionalview showing the action of another ply turn-up tool on the work;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a ply turn-up device, in operative position, as viewed from the right of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the turn-up tool shown in Fig. 7, and its holder.

Referring now to the drawings, especially Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a. bed plate at one side of which is mounted an upright housing 2|. Projecting laterally from the housing is a mechanism (not shown) that supports and drives an annular collapsible tire building form or drum 35, that has the usual shoulders at its opposite ends. Said form or drum is of a standard construction well known to the trade, so that it. is

not believed necessary to show and describe herein the details of the mechanism that effectscol lapse thereof other than to say that collapsing of tive angular movement between the drum-driving means and a tubular sleeve 36 that encloses the latter. The outer end of said sleeve-16 ex-. tends into the drum 35 and is. operatively connected to the collapsing mechanism thereof by suitable means (not shown). The opposite end of the sleeve 35 is formed with an integral brake drum 38 that is embraced by a brake band 39, a brake lever 42 being provided for engaging the. brake band with the brake drum. The arrangement is such that when the brake band is tightened about the brake drum, if the latter is being rotated in the direction that it normally rotates during the building of a tire, relative rotative movement of the sleeve 36 and the building drum 35 will effect collapse of the latter, When it is desired to expand the collapsed drum, the latter is rotated in theopposite direction and the brake thereafter again applied, as is well understood in the art. 7

In the building of a tire upon the drum 35; the first step is the application of two plies of tire building fabric to the drum, which plies commonly are called under-bead plies. The next step is the rolling down or stitching of the lateral marginal portions of said plies so that they conform to the shoulders or reduced portions of the drum at oppositeends-thereof. The mechanism for stitching down said plies is not apart of the present invention, so it need not be shown or described herein. After the first two fabric plies have been applied to the drum and stitched down as aforementioned, the usual the bead cores are mounted upon the shouldersof the drum by any known or preferred bead-setting devices (not shown), which constitute no part'of the present invention. It is next required that the marginal portions of the under-bead fabric plies be turned up about the bead cores, and it is to improved apparatus for performing this operation that this invention is directed.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a supporting structure for a pair of ply turn-up devices, which structure consists of a relatively narrow and elongate beam I03 that rests at one end upon an angle I04 secured to the housing 2|, and at its other end rests upon a bracket I05 mounted atop of a larger standard or bracket 65. Mountedon the top side of beam 3 I03, at opposite ends thereof, are respective slide bars I06, I05, which slide bars are somewhat wider than the beam I03 at their ends that are nearest the ends of the beam. Each of said slide bars supports one of the ply turn-up devices, the latter being identical in construction and operation, and located at opposite sides of the central plane of the drum 35, The slide bars are adjustable longitudinally of the beam I03 for the purpose of positioning the ply turn-up tools accurately with relation to the opposite ends of the drum 35.

Each of the slide bars I06, at its end farthest from the other slide bar, has a single-acting fluid pressure cylinder I58 mounted thereon, and

at its other end has a fluid pressure cylinder I85,

the axes of said cylinders being horizontally dis posed, but offset laterally from each other. The

cylinders I59 are arranged with their closed ends confronting each other, and with piston rods projecting from their opposite ends. Each cylinder IBBis formed, at its end from which its piston rod projects, with a pair of upwardly and axially extending arms III], I Ill in the free ends of -which is journaled-a pivot pin II I, and mount-- ed upon" the latter between said arms is a gear segmentl I2 that is meshed with rack teeth H3 formed on the up er face of a square piston rod N4 of the cylinder I69. rod. H4 is provided with an extension H5 that moves in a slideway formed in a piston rod sup-' port I-IB that is mounted on slide bar I56. The arrangement is suchthat when the cylinder Hill is charged; the piston rod I14 thereof is projected outwardly, thereby turning the gear segment H2 angularly from the position shown in full lines in Figs. 4 and 5' to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 6. When the cylinder I09 is discharged, the piston rod H4 is retracted by means of a, tension spring II I that is connected at one of its ends to a fixedpoint on the cylinder Ill9and at its other end to a stud H8 that projects laterally from the piston rod near the outer end thereof. It is the gear segments I I2 that carry the workengaging tools of the ply turn-up devices.

To this end one of the radial margins of each segment I I-2 has a supporting pin or arm I20 mounted therein and disposed perpendicular to said margin, the latter being disposed in vertical position the inoperative position of the device as shown in full lines in Fig. 4 and in Fig. 6'; Mounted upon the supporting-pin I28, nearthe free end thereof. is an adjusting block I121 that is adjustable axially and angularly of the pin I28, anda'djustably' carried by said block III: for axial and angular adjustment thereon is the stem I22 of a tool holder I23, the latter carvying a, flat, blade-like tool :I24. The tool I24 has; a notch I24a at one end and tail-like portien I-24b at its other, there being a rounded lateral projection I24c near said notched end. The lateral projection I240 is beveled on one side of; the tool and the tail portion I241? is beveled on the oppostie side of the tool. The operative function of the tool I24 is best understood with reference to Figs. 7 and 9 wherein it is shown in operative relation to the drum 35 and work thereon, the latter consisting of two under-bead fabric plies I25, and a tire bead core I26 mounted. upon the latter at the shoulder of the drum. The, drum being rotated in the direction indicated by the, arrow in- Fig. 9, angular movement of the gear segment H2 swings the suppgpti iflg pin I20. insuch a manner as to carry The outer end of-the the tool I24 into engagement with the drum 35, the lateral projection I240 of the tool entering between the fabric plies I25 and the sloping shoulder of the drum on which they lie, and thereby turning the marginal portions of said plies outwardly onto the adjacent face of the bead core structure I26, as is best shown" in Fig. 7. As is clearly shown in Fig. 9, the tool I24 inoperative position is disposed tangentially of the drumand the bead core I26, so that the marginal portion of the plies I25 turned out- Wardly by the projection I240 of the tool I24 are further engaged by the tail portion I241) of the tool and folded farther about the bead core plies are in position to be engaged by a second tool of the ply turn-up device. The movement of the tool I24 toward the drum 35 initially is slow, with its final movement more rapid, so as more efficiently to engage the work on the drum, the said change in speed being effected by controlling the rate at which the cylinder I09 is charged.

The second turn-up tool is a rotatable disc" or roller I29 having a grooved perimeter shaped complemental to the transverse curvature of the tire bead core I26 and adapted to complete the folding of the margins of plies I25 about said core. For this reason it is necessary that the disc S29 initiallyengage the work after the latter has been engaged by the tool I24, and to this end means operating subsequent to the angular movement of the gear segment H2 is provided for moving the tool I29 into engagement with the work.

For supporting the tool I29, an adjusting block i3I is mounted upon supporting pin 520 between the segment H2 and the adjusting block I-2I thereon, said block I3I being axially and angularly adjustable on said pin. The adjusting block I35 supports a swivelblock I32 that'ispro- .vided with a stem or post I33, the latter being.

a-djustably clamped in said block I3I. The swivel block is disposed on that side of the adjusting block I3I that is nearest the drum 35 when the turn-up device is in the operative positions shown in Figs. 6 and 9, and the stem I33 of said swivel block is disposed at right angles to the pin I20. Swiveled in the swivel block I32, onan axis perpendicular to the stem I33,-is the stem I34 of aclamp I35. Mounted for airial adjustment in the latter is an arm or shaft urges the structure carried by the swiveled clamp I35 to the inoperative'positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5. the impetus of said spring is limited by a collar I39 that is-mounted-upon the arm I36: and which bears against the adjusting block I2I in the inoperative position of said structure.

The arrangement is such that the structure mounted on the. swivel block I:32 is movedfrom the position shown in full lines, in Fig. 4"to the position shown in broken lines therein by the angular movement of gear segment H2, when moved "counterclockwiseas viewed in said figure,v

which movement carries the rotary tool I29'to a position in, laterally spaced relation to the end of the drum and the. tire. bead being: built there-- Movement of the said structure under nemas on. For subsequently moving the said. tool into operative engagement with the tire bead, to press down, the marginal portions of the fabric plies I25 thereon, a lever MI is provided, which lever is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon thepivot pin II I, beside the rear supporting arm IIO of the latter. The upper end of the lever MI is formed with a nose portion I4Ia, which normally is in Figs. 4 and 5, and is disposed in spaced relation to the shaft I36, at the end thereof remote from the tool I29, in both positions of the pin shown in Fig. 4. The lever I4! is angularly movable upon its pivot, and when so moved the nose portion I 4Ia thereof engages the adjacent end of the shaft I36 and moves the latter and the structures carried thereby angularly about the pivot consisting of the stem I84, with the result that the tool I29 is moved, against the tension of spring I 36, into engagement with the bead portion of the work, as is shown in Figs. 6 and 9. In Fig. 8 the function of the tool I29 in rolling down the marginal portions of the under-bead plies I25 upon the bead core I28 is clearly shown.

The moving of the lever I4I fected by the fluid pressure cylinder I08, and to this end the piston rod I44 thereof (Fig. 3) has a clevis I45 adjustably affixed in its outer end, said clevis embracing the lever I4I, below the pivot III thereof, and carrying a pin I46 that extends through a slot I41 disposed longitudinally in said lever. The arrangement is such that when the cylinder I08 is charged, its piston rod I44 is projected and swings the lever I4I angularly to operate the turn-up tool I29 as previously described. Upon discharge of the cylinder I08 retraction of its piston rod and the lever MI is effected by means of a tension spring I48 that is connected at one end to the lower end of said lever and at its other end is connected to a fixed point (not shown) on the slide bar I 06. Means by which the cylinder I08 is operated in determinate time relation to the operation of the cylinder I09 presently will be described.

The ply turn-up devices may be and preferably are operated automatically in determinate sequence with other mechanisms (not shown) of this apparatus, and to this end a suitable controller or timing device is provided, which device is located in the casing I 50 mounted upon the front of the housing ZI. Said controller may be of any standard or preferred construction, no novelty being claimed for it so that no detail description thereof need be given here. The said controller is electrically operated, and is set in operation by means of a switch button II on a switch box I 52 that also is located on the front of. housing 2|. The switch box I52 also includes forward and reverse buttons I53, I54 that control the direction of rotation of the drum 35.

The primary control of cylinders I09 is in the switch mechanism mentioned, but the control of the speed of admission of fluid thereto, and the control of the fluid pressure cylinders I08 is effected by other means under control of cylinder I09. To this end suitable toggle valves are mounted in the pipes that conduct fluid to said cylinders, which valves are operated in proper sequence by the movement of piston rod II4 of one of the cylinders I09, it being understood that both cylinders I08 and cylinders I 09 are connected to supply pipes common to each pair of cylinders. The aforesaid valves are shown in Fig. 1 wherein I58 designates a pilot valve in a high pressure fluid supply line connecting with the inoperative position shown in as described is efdesignates an exhaust valve in the supply line of the cylinders I08, The operating toggle levers of valves I58, I59 are engaged by an operating block IIiI that is slidably mounted for movement atop of the valves, the toggle levers extending through slots in said block and being so arranged therein as to operate in sequence when saidblock is moved. Thus when the block I6I is moved to the left as viewed in Fig. l, the lever of valve I 58 first is operated, followed by valve I59, the arrangement providing delayed action of the latter. A somewhat similar operating block IE2 is mounted atop of valve I60 in engagement with the toggle lever thereof. The blocks IGI, I62 are moved to effect operation of the respective valves by means of the piston rod I08 at the left of the apparatus as viewed in Fig. 1, and to this end the stud II8, to which the spring II! is connected, carries a block I63 that is disposed between the operating blocks I6I, I62 and in alignment therewith. When the apparatus is in the inoperative position shown in Fig. 1, the block I62 and the latter holds the valve I60 open so that cylinder I 08 is in evacuated condition, the piston rod I44 0f the cylinder being in retracted position under the force of tension spring I48. When the cylinders admitted to them slowly moves their piston rods II 4 outwardly, the first result being that block I63 moves away from block I62 and permitsvalve I 60 to close the discharge port of cylinder I 08. Subsequently block I63 engages block IBI and moves it to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, the first result being to operate and open valve I58 and thereby admit fluid under high pressure to cylinder I09 so as quickly and strongly to move the piston rod thereof to fully projected position. The opening of valve I 59 by the block I6I is slight 1y delayed following the opening of valve I58. Opening of valve I59 admits fluid cylinders I08 to project the piston rods thereof and effect the operations previously described. After a determinate time interval the timer releases the pressure in cylinders I09, and the springs I I1 thereof retract their piston rods II4, With the result that the block I63 restored to point of starting. This moves said block against block I62 to open valve I60 and thereby to evacuate cylinders I08, the springs I48 thereof returning their piston rods to retracted position. I

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the ply turn-up device of the invention is automatic in its operatiomthat it saves time and labor in the manufacture of pneumatic tire casings, and achieves the other advantages set out in the foregoing statement of objects.

Modification may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Tire building apparatus comprising a rotatable tire building drum, and a pair of concurrently operable devices adapted to operate upon the work on opposite ends of said drum, each of said devices comprising a pair of tools for operating upon the work, power means for moving both said tools in the direction of the work to determinate positions wherein only one of the tools engages the Work, and a second power means for imparting movement solely to the I I4 of the cylinder IE3 is in engagement with block I09 are charged through the agency of the timing device low pressure fluid pressure tothereon is other or said toois as: to: cause-it to engage-the work after the first tool has engaged the same; 2 Tire building apparatus comprising a rotatable drum, and a ply turn-up device adapted to operate upon atirestructure onthe drum at one end thereof; said device comprising; a nonrotatable folding tool, a rotatable pressing tool; means for moving said tools i n-unison to car-rythe non-rotatable tool into engagement withthe work; andsubsequently' operating means for moving the rotatable tool relatively of r the non-rotatable tool and into engagement with the work.

Tire buiidingapparatus comprising a rotatable drum, and a. ply turn-updevice adapted to operate upon a tire structure on the at one end thereof, said: device comprising a pair of tools for operating upon the work, asupporting structure upon which said tools are independe-ntly mounted, means for movingsaid supporting structure as a whole to a determinate ultimate operative position withrelation to the work in which position one of said tools engages the, latter; and means for subsequently movingv the other tool into engagement: with the, work while said supporting structure is stationary.

4. Tire building apparatus comprising a rotatable drum, and a ply turn-up device adapted tooperate upon atire structure on the drum at one end thereof, said device comprising a pair of tools for Operating upon the work, a pivotally mounted supporting structure upon which one of said toolsis mounted; a support for the second tool carried bysaid first-mentioned support and movable relatively thereof, means for moving, said supports in unison to carry one of said-tools into engagement with the work, and means subsequently moving the support of the second tool to carry the latter into engagement with the work while the first-mentioned support is stationary.

5 Tire building. apparatus comprising a rotatableand a ply turn-up device adapted to -operate upon a tire structure on the drum at I no end' thereof, said devicecomprising a pair ottool'sfor operatingupon the work, a pivotally mounted supporting structure upon which one of said tools is mounted", a support for the second tool pivotally mounted upon the first-mentioned support, and means for moving said supports angulariy upontheirpivots in sequence toca-rry said tool's into engagement with the work in success-ion, the means moving the second support operating independently of .the first-mentioned. support after movement-of the latter has ceased.

6. Tire building apparatus comprising a rotatable drum, and a ply turn-up device adapted to operate upon a tire structure on the drum. at one end thereof; said device comprising a pair of t-ools for operating upon the work; a pivotally mounted supporting structure upon which one of said tools is mounted, a support for the second toolpivotall y mounted upon. the first mentioned.

support,. means formoving the latter angularl'y about its pivot to carry one withthe work and to carry the support forthe"- secondtool to a determinate position and power operated meansat said position for engaging and moving the support for the secondtool about itsown pivot after the first-mentioned support has reached ultimate operative position and. its

thereof; power means operable upon the second tool support after the first tool support is stationary in its ultimateoperative-position, to movesaid second tool support to operative position; and means controlled by the operation of the first mentioned power means for subsequently" effecting operation of the second power means.

8, Tire building apparatus comprising 'a rotatable drum, and a plyturn-up device adapted to operate upon a tire structure on the drum, said device comprising a pair of tools for operatingupon said tire structure, a movable supporting structure upon which one of said tools.

is mounted, power means for moving said supporting structure between'ioperative and inoperative positions, a support for a second tool pivotally mounted uponthe first mentioned supporting structure and movable relatively thereof, power means operable upon the second tool sup- .port after the first tool support is stationary in its ultimate operative position, to move saidsec- 0nd tool support to operative position, said power means comprising an angularly movable lever having a projecting nose portion that engages the second tool support, and means operating said lever, and means controlled by the operation of the first mentioned power means'for subsequently effecting operation of the second power means;

HORACE- D. STEVENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following reicrencesv are oi record-in. the. file oi this patent; Y

UNITED: STATES PATENTS tool into-engagement 

